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Hi retired_guy,
Thanks for the article. I wish I knew about SA 5 years ago, or at least my Doctor should have recognized my symptoms. Anyway, I just emailed the article to my very stubborn husband. He seems more open to reading articles than hearing me talk about it. Although, I think it normal for hubbys not to listen to wives advice.

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.

One of the most common complaints by my patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is memory loss. Judith is a 55 year old woman who used to have a sharp memory, but now is having trouble with names and losing her keys all the time. Things got much worse when she gained more weight, which worsened her snoring. She was eventually placed on CPAP for her moderate obstructive sleep apnea, and is now happy to report that while her memory is not back to normal, it is much improved.

At a recent Airway Dentistry conference I went to last month, the most memorable topic was given by Dr. Ronald Harper, Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. I’ve been following his work over many years, but his presentation only confirmed my suspicion that there can be significant brain damage with untreated obstructive sleep apnea. Based on various high-tech MRI technology, specific known areas of the brain can be damaged with repeated episodes of apneas and low oxygen levels. Note that the word “damage” can mean low functioning, or dead brain cells. Here are 5 particular areas of brain damage from untreated obstructive sleep apnea with their specific symptoms:

1. The right insular cortex. This is the area of the brain that regulates sympathetic control of the autonomic nervous system. If the insular cortex is damaged, baroreflex control is affected. The insula also controls nerve endings that relate to pain. Both OSA and sleep apnea patients are found to have insular cortex injury.

2. The vetrolateral medulla (VLM). This area of the brain controls breathing and blood pressure regulation. Injury to this area blunts and delays heart rate responses to sudden pressure changes. One sided VLM injury leads to an asymmetric response to blood pressure challenge, which can potentially cause heart rhythm problems.

3. The cerebellum is the area of the brain that helps adjust blood pressure control and motor coordination, including breathing. Damage to this area prevents the ability to coordinate vascular and motor activity.

4. The hippocampus is found to be significantly smaller in people with obstructive sleep apnea. This area of the brain processes short and long-term memory and spatial navigation. One study found that hippocampal damage can be partially reversed after a period of CPAP. The hippocampus is also one of the first areas to be damaged in Alzheimer’s disease.

5. Mammary bodies are important for memory recall, as well as for memory for certain smells. These structures are much smaller in patients with OSA, and almost nonexistent in patients with heart failure. The hippocampus and mammary bodies are also found to be damaged in chronic alcoholism.

If OSA can damage critical areas of the brain that regulates breathing, balance, memory, and the autonomic nervous system, the implications are enormous. For example, heart failure is thought to lead to central sleep apnea. Is it possible that untreated obstructive sleep apnea can damage breathing and reflex centers in the brain that can lead to heart failure? What proportion of Alzheimer’s disease is actually undiagnosed OSA? The possibilities are endless. As they say at the end of every scientific journal article, more studies are needed.

The thing to note, however, is that all of these are for those with UNTREATED sleep apnea. Those of us who use our machines and track our data to ensure we are getting the right treatment are doing just fine.

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.

The doctor who referred me for a sleep study back in 2009 was my Endocrinologist and he was treating my insulin dependent diabetes. Thank God for doctors who have an open mind. My husband told me after I had the sleep study that I had been snoring for years, but of course I didn't listen to him prior to the study.

My brother is having memory issues. I've been after him for years to get a sleep study but he says he doesn't want anything up his nose. I sent him these links. It's up to him to connect the dots. I can't do it for him.

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.

I don't know if it's only gender specific or not, but it does seem like an awful lot of "us guys" think we are indestructible. Or perhaps we think it's our "job" to be destructed a little at a time to prove how big our ----- abilities are.

Hopefully simple articles like this one might inspire some of the guys who would rather not end up drooling on their pancakes while being totally dependent on someone else to clean up after them.

I am proud of myself that I was enlightened enough to take being banished to the far reaches of my home to sleep, to not being able to drive 1 mile to the post office without falling asleep, and all the other stuff, that I got tested and treated.

I only wish all my brothers out there in macho land would just man-up and do the same.

Useful Links

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.